Jealous Zuko
by alwaysslowburning
Summary: The Gaang pauses their travels to take a trip to the market for supplies. Zuko can't help but notice the amount of guys that can't take their eyes off of Katara. Rated K . One-shot. Zutara.


"Now _that_ is a nice bag," Sokka said, grabbing Toph's arm and dragging her to one of the dozens of stands.

"How am I supposed to help you?" Toph said, waving her hand in front of her eyes as she often did to remind her friends of her blindness.

"Duh, you're going to feel the material with your feet and tell me if it's any good," Sokka said, yanking down a bag. Toph began stomping on it, much to the shopkeepers horror.

Katara giggled from her place between Aang and Zuko. Sukki had long since run off to check out the face powder shop, and neither boy had found anything of interest yet.

"Your brother… he's something," Zuko said.

"He's always been a little weird," Katara smiled.

"Let's not forget the friendly mushroom stage," Aang said, and Katara began to laugh. Zuko frowned, not having any idea what they were talking about.

"Hey Katara! Look at that!" Aang pointed to a dancing baboon-rabbit and its singing owner. "I'm gonna go check it out. Momo can always use a new talented friend!" Aang kicked up a ball of air and rolled over, much to the glee of the singing owner, whose voice rose in pitch, causing the baboon-rabbit to begin to twirl.

"Ooh, Zuko! Look!" Katara wrapped her hand around Zuko's arm and pulled him forward. He felt his face heat. They reached a stand full of assorted fruits and vegetables, many of which Zuko had never seen before. Katara picked up a strange red circle and began to test it's firmness.

"Now how about that," a voice said from behind her. The pair turned to see a boy around Zuko's age twisting his beard beard between his fingers and chomping on sunflower seeds. His brown eyes moved quickly over Zuko and locked on Katara.

"How about what?" Katara said, not really paying much attention to him.

"A lovely lady like you doing her own shopping. Shouldn't you have a servant girl or something?" he said, and Katara blushed.

"I'm not really important enough to have a servant girl," she said, finally meeting his gaze.

"Someone as beautiful as you? You ought to have fifteen servant girls _and_boys," he flirted.

"I'll take it," Katara said, holding out the red circle.

"What?" the boy questioned.

"This fruit. I'll have it. Here's a copper piece. I'll take a few of those yellow ones too," Katara said, holding out her money. Zuko caught the look on the boy's face and bit his lip to hold back a laugh.

"Uh, oh, okay," he said. Katara scooped up her merchandise, dropped it into her satchel, and continued down the row of shops.

Zuko thought they'd gotten away from the worst of it when they reached the fish stand. Suddenly they were surrounded by boys who elbowed each other and stared at Katara so hard Zuko imagined their eyes would fall out. Unfortunately, they did not, and Zuko found himself gritting his teeth.

"What do you think of this one?" Katara said to herself, mumbling about prices and weight.

"This here is a much better fish for your money," a boy with narrow green eyes and a handsome face said. Katara smiled.

"Really?"

"No, no, take my fish!" another boy insisted, and Katara took put down the fish she had and took each of their fish in either hand. She weighed them, frowning and trying to think over the sound of the muffled voices of the other boys. Zuko heard pieces of conversation.

"She's beautiful."

"Must be a water tribe girl, I'd say."

"No no no, definitely fire nation. She doesn't trick me with that blue."

"I'd agree. Fire nation girls are always the hottest!" This boy chuckled loudly at his own joke and Zuko exhaled a stream of smoke.

"What do you think, Zuko?" Katara asked, turning to him with a dead fish in either hand.

"Whatever you think, Katara. I've never really had to buy my own food," Zuko said.

"I'll take both then, I suppose. We do have a larger group now," Katara mused, holding out her money. The boys took it greedily. The handsome one let his hand linger on hers, and Zuko felt heat radiating from his palms. He was going to burn his face off if he didn't remove his hand in the next second.

It was Katara who moved away. "Thanks for all of your help!" she said, already moving to the next shop.

"What I wouldn't give for a girl like her," a wealthy-looking boy in traditional Earth Kingdom garb said, his hand on his heart as they passed.

"Such an interesting hair style. It really shows off her beautiful face," an older man said, and his wife shoved him.

"Oh _spirits_," several boys Katara's age swooned as she passed.

Zuko imagined himself knocking them to their pre-pubescent feet. As if they knew anything about girls.

"Free! Free just for the lovely lady!" a teenaged boy shouted, waving sweets in the air as Katara passed.

"Did you here that Zuko? Free! Must be my lucky day," Katara said, dragging him over. She accepted the sugar-covered pastries with a bow, and the boy stared down her dress.

"Come on, Katara," Zuko snapped, storming off.

"Thanks again!" Katara said in a sing-song voice as she ran after Zuko. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he flinched, jerking away from him.

"What's your problem?" Katara said, a frown on her pretty brown face, and Zuko felt the days rage rolling inside of him.

"My problem? What's my problem? Have you not noticed the way everyone has been looking at you?" Zuko shouted. It took all of his effort to keep fire from shooting from his palms.

"What are you talking about?" Katara's hands flew to her hair, frustration making her pull at the dark brown strands.

"The boys! The compliments, the leers, the gazing and the swooning and - "

"What difference does it make?"

"I hate it, Katara! It's… it's disgusting!"

"What makes it disgusting, huh? What if I like being gazed at and complimented?"

"Well I don't like it!" Zuko said. Katara stared at him, her chest heaving with anger. She looked away from him, breathing in deeply and exhaling with a sigh. By the time her eyes met his golden ones again, she was calmer.

"Zuko," Katara said, "you are not in charge of me. You have no right to be angry. I know you may expect me to be flattered by your jealousy, but honestly? That's what's disgusting," she said.

"Katara -"

"No, let me finish. You are my friend, and I respect your opinion. But you have to realize… I'm your friend, and a girl. But I'm also a person, just like you are. Tell me you wouldn't be flattered to hear that a dozen girls found you attractive," Katara said.

"Well, Katara," Zuko said.

"No, Zuko. Listen. I get it. It's gross to be leered at, and I don't always like it. But I get to decide when it's gross and when it isn't. Not you. I'm not your property," Katara said.

Zuko stared at the water bender, trying to let this information digest. Once his anger faded, he felt… guilty. Yes, Katara was beautiful. That was easy for him to realize. She had those big blue eyes and bow-shaped lips and that kind face… but behind that, she was a person, too.

He'd never felt so stupid.

"Katara," Zuko said, and she decided not to cut him off. "I'm… I'm sorry." He wanted to back it up, to try to explain himself, but he knew that she didn't need to hear it. She needed to hear that he understood, and for him to admit that he was wrong.

"Thank you, Zuko," Katara said, the warmth returning to her face and voice. She began to walk away from him, and then she was hugging him. Zuko was so shocked that he didn't respond, and Katara pulled away. A smile graced her lips, and Zuko was, as per usual, captivated by her beauty.

"And by the way," Katara said, her hand coming to rest on his chest, above his heart beat.

"Yeah?" Zuko said, the electricity brewing from her fingertips making him nervous.

"I think you're pretty handsome, too." At this admission, Katara kissed him quickly on his scarred cheek and bounded off to another shop. Zuko stood, shocked, his hand on his scar and his eyes on the most beautiful person he'd ever known.


End file.
